EFL Tech - France a Site for Teachers of English ( as a Foreign Language) for  Engineering

# 24 SAFETY
 
 

Warming up

What does the word ‘safety’ mean to a future technician?

Another Warming Up exercise could be found in the book Basic Technical English by Comfort, Hick and Savage - Oxford University Press-( 1982 - 92) ISBN 0 19 457382 6 (page 73 )

Text A

§1 - Machinery accidents are the main cause of serious injuries to workers in the rubber industry, where in common with many other industries, much of the machinery used is extremely powerful, with the potential to inflict permanent disfigurement, maiming (1)or death. (…) 40% of major injuries involve amputation.

§2 - Identifying the hazards involves recognising the moving parts of the machinery, either powered or with the potential to move, for example under gravity Types of mechanical hazard to look for include crushing, cutting, drawing-in (nips)(2), impact, friction or abrasion. Are there any static parts of the machine, such as blades, which may present a mechanical hazard?

§3 - Who might be injured by the hazards? Consider not only production operatives but maintenance and cleaning staff, visitors. Pay particular attention to lone workers and young or inexperienced staff.

§4 - How might an injury occur? Include installation and dismantling of machinery. Look at how the work is actually done, rather than how it should be done, or how you think it's done. Identify any situations where the usual safeguards cannot be relied upon, such as the removal of guards during maintenance work.

§5 - Priority should be given to high risks - meaning those which could result in serious injury or which could affect several people. (…) Guards or other safety devices which are effective in preventing access to dangerous parts should be provided. Any residual risks which cannot be controlled by engineering means should be minimised by (…) adequate training, instruction and supervision of employees.

§6 - Some design-related preventative methods include:

• Reducing the speed, pressure and/or torque;
• Easily identifiable emergency stop buttons;
• Clear operating controls;
• Shrouding (3) start buttons and pedals;
• Avoid excessive noise, heat and vibration to reduce stress on the operator;
• Arranging for machines to be fed and cleaned automatically;
• Providing fixed guards wherever possible, otherwise interlocking guards (4);
• Use of pressure mats and photoelectric devices where fixed guards are not practical.

Notes
(1) maiming: severe leg or arm injuries (mutilation)
(2) nip: pincement
(3) to shroud: to protect by means of a carter
(4) interlocking guard : An interlocking guard is one which is a moveable part : its movement is interconnected to the power or control system of the machine. so that until the guard is closed, the interlock prevents the machinery from operating by interrupting the power system.

Read the text above

Understanding the text

1 - Right or Wrong. (When you think the sentence is right, find out the paragraph that confirms your answer)

• The text examines accidents due to machinery
• The text assesses (= évalue) the causes of accidents;
• The text is about safety problems due to the bad or faulty design of some machines;
• The text explains which operations are specially dangerous;
• The text makes it clear that safety devices have to be installed;
• The text insists on the fact that some accidents may be extremely serious;
• The text suggests some technical solutions to avoid accidents;
• The text is about operators who do not pay attention to safety regulations;
• The text says that only moving machines and mechanisms are dangerous.
• The text insists on the necessity of training.

a - Mind the following words (Faux amis) :

§1 injuries - §2 hazard - §3 operative ; prevent - §4 actually - §5 effective ; parts - §6 control

b - Match the machine ( or part of the machine) and its action
A: a press - a grinding machine (=meule)- a piston - a saw - gears - a belt - shears ( = cisailles)
B : crushing - cutting - drawing-in (nips) - impact - friction or abrasion.

c - Find equivalents for: isolated; personnel; to count on, to have confidence in; to supply ( in the order of the text)

d -Contextual reference What do the words in italics refer to?
§4 how it should be done - §5 those which could result

3 - Answer the questions.

§1 - Pick up the words and phrases referring to serious injuries.
Explain why the rubber industry is particularly affected by serious accidents

§2 - What part of a machine can be specially dangerous ?
Are these parts the only hazardous ones ?
Examine the list of hazards and say what kind of machine can create the risk

§3 - List the potential victims.
Why should special attention be paid to some of them ?

§4 - Should machine safety be a concern only when it is in operation?
Name the four moments / steps in the life of a machine that are alluded to in the paragraph.
Operation step: What should the designer consider? What shouldn’t he consider?
Maintenance: why are there special risks at this moment?

§5 - What definition of ‘high risks’ is given?
What are the two methods to reduce / avoid accidents?
What is the use of a guard?
In what case is training particularly useful.?

Use of language

4 - Compound nouns and adjectives

a - Pick up the compound nouns and adjectives in paragraph 6
b - Transform with compound nouns and adjectives

• EN standards (= harmonised European standards).) that are specifically linked to eliminating some risks which can be avoided ( use: avoidable) easily include:
• EN 161 - which specifies safety requirements for integrated systems.
• EN 811 – which advises on safety distances from machinery for the protection of upper limbs
• EN 60204 – which covers all hazards related to electricity such as signs (used as) warning and covered terminals
• EN 547-1 – sets out the principles for the determination of the required dimensions when a whole body has access into machinery

a - List the modal verbs. to be found in the text and in the following sentences:

• In spite of figures showing a reduction in the number of accidents , we cannot escape the fact that the workplace must be an extremely dangerous environment.
• To protect the danger zone, one may choose one or a combination of the following safeguarding techniques: fixed enclosing guards or electro-sensitive devices
• EN999 and EN294 are very clear that operators must not have access to the working part while the machine is operating
• In very extreme and rare cases, sections of the protective fencing may be made de-mountable, providing they can only be removed with the aid of a tool.
• The best advice that can be given to inexperienced staff is that they should never try to defeat the safety devices.
• There should be no or very accidents if all safety regulations were enforced.

6 - Passive verbs

a- Pick up the passive verbs in paragraphs 4 and 5
b- Rewrite §5 without passives. (When necessary, use ‘designers’ as the subject of the verbs.)
c - Rewrite using the passive:
Designers should consider safety with as much attention as reliability, efficiency , production rate or other factors. They should design a machine so that it will remain safe under all circumstances. Where guards cannot give full protection, the designers must use other protective devices. However, the designers should fit the guards in such a way that operators cannot easily remove them
Besides, the staff should check the guards regularly and maintain them in effective working order.

7 - Look at paragraph 6 and

a- Compare these sentences (item 1) Reducing the speed, pressure and/or torque >>> Reduction of the speed, pressure and/or torque.
[Note that an ING form may be equivalent to a noun.]

Do the same as in the example with items 2,3,5 and 8. (Use verbs such as: install, fit, use, etc.)

b - Recast each item with
it is necessary / important / advisable/ preferable to (do)

e.g. It is advisable to reduce the speed, pressure and/or torque.

c - Recast each item with : should + be + ED

e.g. : Reducing the speed, pressure and/or torque is necessary / advisable / important >>> the speed, pressure and/or torque should be reduced.

e- Examine each item and explain why / how this can help reduce accidents.

Use the patterns studied above as well as phrases expressing : cause, consequence, purpose and also ‘it is used for’ + ING, ‘it is used to (do), ‘it avoids’ + ING; ‘it enables the operator to (do)’ and other patterns and words.
 
 

Text B

§1 - Tampering with the safety equipment on a machine is dangerous because it can expose people to hazardous areas and lead to accidents. So why do people interfere with systems that exist for their protection?

§2 - Maintenance staff may run a machine without the guards in place.(…) They might do this to get closer to watch a process or to free frequently occurring jams. But, it is not unknown for maintenance technicians to finish work on a machine and then forget to reinstate the safety systems!

§3 - Operators tend to bypass safety systems for different reasons. One of the most common of these is to increase the throughput and, if they are paid on a piece-rate basis, increase their bonus. Of course, there are also those operators that arrogantly take the view that they know what they are doing and don't need the safety equipment.

Adapted from : Preventing tampering with safety equipment - October 2000
In Industrial Technology at http://www.industrialtechnology.co.uk

Understanding the text

8 - Read text B and explain what " tampering with the safety equipment " means..

2 - Vocabulary

a- Using context- Choose an equivalent

(§2) jams : a/ obstructions b/ repairs c/ accidents
(§3) throughput : a/ quality b/ resistance c/ production

b- Rephrasing: replace the words in italics with expressions from the text which have a similar meaning

• Everybody knows that some machines are more dangerous than others, this is no secret;
• This man is paid on piecework rather than weekly or monthly;
• Some people consider / regard that they are always right.

§1 - What can be the consequences of tampering with safety equipment?
In what circumstances may a machine be run without the guards in place?

§2 - What are the two reasons for doing so?

(If you find the answer too difficult, you can do the following exercise first:
Paragraph 2/ How do you understand sentence 2 ?
a/ They might do this (1) to get closer (2 and also ) to watch a process or (3 and also ) to free frequently occurring jams.
b - They might do this (1) to get closer to watch a process or(2 and also) to free frequently occurring jams)

"It is not unknown" means a/I know / I have already heard that …? b/ I have never heard that… / it has never happened

What mistake may the maintenance staff make?

§3 - How many reasons for bypassing safety systems are given?
Does reason A concern the operators who are paid by the month? Explain why the want to increase the throughput.
Develop and explain reason B.

Use of language

10 - Paragraphs 2 and 3 explain why some people tamper with safety equipment

a - Transform as in the example, using the pattern : it is + adjective + to (do)

e.g. Maintenance staff may want to run a machine without the guards : this is dangerous >>>.

It is dangerous to run a machine without the guards. (note : this pattern has been studied in exercise 7b)

• Maintenance staff may need to get closer to the moving parts : this is frequent.
• Maintenance staff may want to free jams : this is necessary.
• Some operators decide to bypass the safety systems : this is strange.
• Some operators who are paid on a piece-rate basis want to increase the throughput : this is usual.
• Some operators would like to increase the wages : this is understandable.
• Some experienced operators think they don’t need the safety systems : this is absurd.

e.g. Maintenance staff may want to run a machine without the guards : this is dangerous >>>

It is dangerous for maintenance staff to run a machine without the guards

11 - Translate paragraphs 1 and 2 into French

12 - Brainstorming (oral work)

a - Sum up everything you have learnt about safety in the two texts ( and in exercises 4, 5 and 6)

b - The texts above deal with safety in mechanical engineering . But does safety concern only the mechanical parts of machines? Can you think of other domains of engineering in which safety should be a major concern? What about safety in computing and data processing?

13 - Complete the vocabulary network.

To be found in the ‘Students’ Toolbox’ (Item # 22in the ‘Contents of the Databank’ page ) part 2- b

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